Beet it: Beet Risotto Nobody Wanted

I can’t resist buying beets at the Farmer’s Market. And I have nothing but the best intentions for them. I’ll roast them! Pickle them! Put them in a salad! Oh the delicious nutrition! Plus we’ll all pee red! W00t!

Alas, too often I won’t get around to roasting my beets, and when I finally do surface from my messy to-do list, I’ll find my glorious beets all shriveled and leathery. The greens I’d meant to saute brown and beyond saving.

This week I wasn’t going to let that happen. As soon as I got them home I washed them, wrapped them in tinfoil and roasted them at 350 for an hour. (smaller beets will take less time. When a knife goes thru them easily, they’re done)

But then I got hugely distracted and let them sit on the counter for another day. So it was going to be a double tragedy – not only wasted beets, but wasted roasted beets. Bad Julie.

In a saucepan, heat up the veggie stock to a little simmer. Don’t let it boil. Season expertly.

In another pan, saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the risotto and swirl it around, coating it with oil and onions, and let it toast a bit. About 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the wine (go ahead and have a little swig yourself while you’re at it). Stir. When the wine cooks off, add the chopped beets.

Stir. It turns pink! You’re having fun now, boy!

Stirred, not shaken

Now add the heated stock, about half a cup at a time (I just did it ladle by ladle), stirring until it’s fully absorbed, then add another ladle-full. Keep stirring. Amy says it takes almost exactly 18 minutes to make risotto, so I set my timer. And danged is she wasn’t right.

Keep stirring. Sip a little more wine for fortification.

When the risotto is neither mushy nor chewy, add one more splash of stock and cover for just a minute. It shouldn’t be too wet or too dry. After a minute or so, add the Parmesan cheese and stir in. Taste for seasoning and adjust thusly.